How I Packed
Routinely, I always over pack — Plain & Simple. I know what I’m about and luckily this vacation I “practice packed” multiple times in order to streamline exactly what I needed. I started to plan outfits that could be switched out and rotated with each piece having multiple functions in order to create other looks as well as accommodate weather changes — due to the mediterranean weather of our locations it was easy to rely on solid color basics, knit, linen, and patterned button downs.
Below are some of the staple pieces and similar ideas I brought with me for 12 days, 3 countries (and 3 Greek islands).
Airport:
I love flying — more or less because airports are completely a time-warp. Arriving? Departing? $12 magazines? Wine at 1pm? Sure why not.I am one of those psychos that will have a complete #OOTD on in the airport regardless of the time. Wearing the bulkiest clothing in-flight saved me from busting a zipper on my travel bag but also allows temperature control — wearing a cardigan and cropped trench helped me from boarding a chilly Canadian night and served as a blanket mid-flight.
Active Wear:
Knowing that I would be spending majority of the trip lounging on a beach & swimming, exploring towns, and the occasional hike I wanted to pack quick drying, light weight clothing. Patterned swimming trunks worked for both beach wear as well as casual shorts to wander around in (I packed three pairs but looking back two served to be enough). The weather was absolutely the best I have ever experienced so hanging things to dry on our patios at both AirBnb and Hotels was a breeze. One of the best perks was having a washer/dryer unit at both of our AirBnb locations. Knowing this ahead of time allowed me to pack a limited amount of T-Shits washing mid-trip to start the next leg fresh.
Durable Shoes:
Debating what shoes to bring was hard due to myself living in loafers on a day-to-day basis. Because footwear would be taking up most of the packing real estate I tried to limit myself to three practical choices: Sandals, Runners, & Loafers. Ironically enough I didn’t own casual sandals or a pair of running shoes (I know) so those were purchases I bought for the trip. AE Suede Double Buckle Sandals worked perfect for on and off boats, ripping around on ATV’s, and everyday beach wear. I actually regretted not having them for the summer but here’s to Summer 2019! Going forward with our Italy itinerary — a friend of mine was eager to tackle the breath taking “Path of Gods” (Check it out here!) which is a multi-level 10k hike along the Amalfi Coast mountain side. Ralph Lauren Performance Train 150 proved to be the best fit. Ordering online very last minute from The Bay (on sale too!) I was nervous that breaking them in so close to the trip would lead to disastrously sore feet but I was proven wrong — these have become one of the most comfortable shoes I’ve owned and worked perfectly for the rugged terrain from Amalfi to Positano. Lastly, I have nothing more to say about the Aldo “Tralisien” Beige Loafers other than buy them. These have lasted me two summers of everyday wear — casual or dressy — they are SO comfortable and go with shorts, jeans, dress pants, anything. These are on my feet almost daily and admittedly I have a second pair tucked away for the day comes to break out a new pair.
Staple Pieces:
For me it was easy to pick the color scheme I was going for on this trip; Neutral. I packed a lot of basic colors such as white, grey, cream, and black. These pieces allowed versatility when deciding what to wear and flexibility to feel like I wasn’t living in the same outfit days on end. Dark cream cardigan allowed comfort on planes but also as a light knit for dinner wear and night strolls. A series of striped and sold button downs worked best for beach wear as well as tucked into neutral shorts or linen pants for a formal look while dining. Although I thought I was crazy for packing a blanket scarf on a late summer trip, it turned out to be so functional as a wrap in windy Mykonos, cover on the beach, an extra blanket while sleeping, and even a throw for a picnic while having lunch on the go.
Accessories: Scarff – Bracelet – Wayfars – Round Ray Bans – Watch – Travel Bag
Bottoms: Distressed Denim – Floral – Shorts – Stripes
Shoes: Loafers – Sandals – Trainers
Shirts: White – Peach – Stripes – Yellow
PIN FOR REFERENCE!